Type in the content of your page here. Part 1 One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest Out of all the movies we watched in class over the year, I think I got the most out of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. I really like how metaphorically rich the movie is, everything from the setting, to the dialogue, and especially the characters. Jack Nicholson plays R.P. McMurphy, a character that society just doesn’t know what to do with. He’s been in and out of prison, and was sent to the mental institution for evaluation. Our metaphor now gets deeper; McMurphy, a young, lively guy, enjoying his life is now trapped in the walls of an institution that thinks it knows how to cure him of this “wild streak.” This is a clear parallel to the conflict of the counterculture vs. established society in the 1960’s. McMurphy represents the counterculture, the kids of the generation, the rowdy teenagers trying to find their way and have fun while doing it.
Louise Fletcher as Nurse Ratched
Nurse Ratched, played by Louise Fletcher does an amazing job making the audience hate her with every fiber of their being, which is imperative to the film’s success I think. And the hospital she works in represents the oppressing organization of a cold society, where its members just drift along in ignorant content, oblivious to what they are capable of.
R.P. McMurphy starts to fit in to his new home.
McMurphy is portrayed in the movie as a liberator, and eventually even a Christ like figure. His role is to inspire and remind the patients of what kind of power they have, how they have the power to do whatever they please, whenever they please. He even sacrifices his wealth of cigarettes on a bet he knows he can’t win, just to prove a point.“But I tried didn’t I? Goddamnit at least I did that!” He exclaims after trying and failing to rip up a wash fountain from the floor.
Chief embraces McMurphy before their escape.
It is revealed later in the movie that McMurphy had perhaps the greatest effect on the Chief (played by Will Sampson), who continues McMurphy’s plan for breaking out of the hospital. He says his goodbyes and then succeeds in lifting the wash fountain and throwing it through the window, and escaping. And for the more technical details, I think the whole ending sequence especially is a prime example of the, in my opinion, great cinematography, done by Haskell Wexler. I was also very impressed by the Director Milos Forman after finding out that he decided to have a camera on everyone’s face during the group counseling sessions. I thought that it was a great decision, because there are so many talented actors casted, it’d be a shame to miss any one of their reactions. This was definitely one of the more thought provoking movies we’ve seen in class, and has a brand of social commentary that I love to see in a film.
McMurphy helping Martini understand the finer points of betting with cigarettes.
Part 1
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
Out of all the movies we watched in class over the year, I think I got the most out of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. I really like how metaphorically rich the movie is, everything from the setting, to the dialogue, and especially the characters. Jack Nicholson plays R.P. McMurphy, a character that society just doesn’t know what to do with. He’s been in and out of prison, and was sent to the mental institution for evaluation. Our metaphor now gets deeper; McMurphy, a young, lively guy, enjoying his life is now trapped in the walls of an institution that thinks it knows how to cure him of this “wild streak.” This is a clear parallel to the conflict of the counterculture vs. established society in the 1960’s. McMurphy represents the counterculture, the kids of the generation, the rowdy teenagers trying to find their way and have fun while doing it.
Nurse Ratched, played by Louise Fletcher does an amazing job making the audience hate her with every fiber of their being, which is imperative to the film’s success I think. And the hospital she works in represents the oppressing organization of a cold society, where its members just drift along in ignorant content, oblivious to what they are capable of.
On To Part 2!